by Lisa Wedmann | Jul 12, 2013 | Administration, Business Success, Latest, Uncategorized
A few years back I took a course on strategic planning for small business. When the floor opened for questions many revolved around building teams. What kind of skills should you look for when building a team, is experience more important than education, are soft skills more important than hard skills, at what point of the project should you bring on a new team member … that type of question.
But the topic I found the most interesting was around how to build a good team. The discussion spiraled on subjects we had previously discussed. Finally in exasperation, one attendee said, “Yes, I understand all that, but how do you build a good team?”
The lecturer paused, looked straight at him and answered, “Build a good team”.
It seemed a simplistic joke but as he went on to explain, it had a great deal of merit. It means that in order to have a successful team you must build a good team.
Still too simplistic? Below is the discussion that followed on how to build a good team.
Wicked Way #1: Know your goals and your objectives
Number one, number one, number one. Always know your goals and objectives. Keep these clear in your mind. Write them on a piece of paper and stick them to your wall in a prominent place. If it’s a project deadline, if it’s gross sales, if it’s a percentage of growth, write it down. Paper remembers, people forget.
Wicked Way #2: Define roles and set expectations
Define the roles that you need in order to meet your goals and objectives. Fill these roles with people who can meet them. When you are interviewing to fill the roles, make it clear what your goals and objectives are and set expectations.
The person you interview may have the best qualifications and a great attitude but if they don’t know what you want and they don’t know whether they can do what you want, you are relying on a wish and a promise, neither one is a position for success.
Wicked Way #3: Provide feedback
Once you have a team, continue to set expectations. Provide feedback. Let the person know what they are doing right and what they are doing wrong. Always ask yourself and the team, will this activity help move us towards our goals and objectives? If it doesn’t, stop immediately.
Find out what will work. Then move on. And when the work your team member is helping to meet your goals and objectives, acknowledge and reward.
THAT’S IT
There you have it. Simple. Easy peasy.
How to build a good team… build a good team.
by Lisa Wedmann | Jul 10, 2013 | Administration, Business Success, Latest, Management
Before we start let me be clear on the definition of a leader.
Well then again ….. maybe I can’t be clear.
I can’t be clear because leadership is an art not a science.
It’s not easy to pin down leadership characteristics. Regrettably, there is no magic formula you can follow to turn yourself into the beloved leader who knows how to push all the right buttons.
And to make matters complicated, in today’s matrix environments it isn’t always easy to tell who the leaders are and who are the followers.
Gone are the days when a Supervisor sat in his office and overlooked the floor of busy workers who followed set rules and obeyed orders. That old distinction between a leader and a follower no longer exists.
DISTINCTION BETWEEN A LEADER AND A FOLLOWER
Without those clean marks of distinction it can be rough to distinguish where your responsibilities start and where another’s stop. And when leadership responsibilities are not clear, you may wonder is it your job to lead or does the responsibility belong to someone else?
Sometimes there is no straight-forward answer.
It could be the person leading a team or running a corporation. It could be a Project Manager or Head of a Department. In these situations, it’s easy to tell who is the leader. The title defines the status. But more often than not these people will jump in to assist in some way or another or they bring in others to help with big decisions or challenges.
Then what about when those who are leading a specific part of a project? Sometimes identifying a leader is easy. They lead, direct and interact with others and rely on them to help get the job done.
Who’s the leader now? Is it the Manager driving the project, the Project Manager who is leading the team or the specialist running her end of the show?
Consciously or unconsciously different people are in charge at different times and places. For one reason or another they have the responsibility to lead.
SUPERMAN OF LEADERSHIP DOES NOT EXIST
Today’s’ world is dynamic where challenges are too complex for just one person to handle. The Superman of leadership does not exist. Instead we are faced with the dichotomy of Superman and Clark Kent. On one hand we are saving the world and on the other we are heads down in our work.
In reality, we are both leaders and followers.
WE ALL ANSWER TO SOMEONE
This flexible definition of leadership that changes from one minute to the next may not be crystal clear.
But one thing is clear when we are looking for the definition of a leader and that is we all have a boss.
Whether it is a supervisor, a manager, or a customer. Whether it is shareholders, a Board of Directors or the person who signs your timesheet, we all answer to someone.
And at one time or another we have all been the leader where we lead and direct the outcome of our tasks.
Leadership qualities are fluid. One minute you’re the driver, the next minute you are the passenger.
It’s complex.
Or as Mongomery Burns says when he tries to scoop homer’s brain to turn him into a robot, Dammit Smithers, this is brain surgery, not rocket science.
What qualities do you wish to see in a leader? What don’t you like?
by Justin James | Jul 5, 2013 | Advertising, Business Success, Latest
Today, I find myself in an advertising agency on my first day at 3H Communications as an intern. Good for me! Let me back up a little and give you some background on well, me, the 3H Intern. Since the day I was old enough to understand that I needed money to live, I started asking myself the big question: How can I make money?
I eventually decided that I wanted to become an entrepreneur and start my business after finishing university. Now, I face only two problems:
1. I have no idea what I should be innovating , inventing or doing for my business, nor how to market what I was doing.
2. I need to be accepted to a university.
The combination of these two factors was rather daunting, until I heard of an interesting opportunity to gain in work training. This training provides a better understanding of the working world and can be used on a resume to help with future job and university applications. Through a Specialist High Skills Major business program at my school, I enrolled in a Co-op and was fortunate enough to be offered an internship at
3H Communications – a marketing advertising agency in downtown Oakville.
Excellent! Before I started working, I needed the proper attire. I visited a few stores and gathered the full ensemble: shoes, shirt, jacket, tie, and dress pants. Sweltering in the summer heat but looking professional, I approached the doors of 3H Communications Inc.
A day in the life of the 3H Intern:
The company is very impressive. There are talented writers, designers, and web developers working here, oozing talent and confidence. The workplace has a vibe of creativity and dedication, creating a stimulating work environment.
After a brief boardroom meeting, I was assigned a cozy office space to work in. My supervisor showed me what work I needed to complete, and as I tried to absorb all the instructions, I quickly turn into a Macklemore rap song. ‘All right. Okay. All—all right, okay.’
The day progressed and I learned much about effectively gathering data, evaluating consumer interest for a product and targeting the right demographics. In one day of work, I learned the equivalent of a semester’s teachings in school. I believe that co-op workplaces offer a great opportunity for aspiring teenagers because they can gain practical skills and information, which in business, proves to be more valuable than theoretical knowledge.
My experience as an intern is already phenomenal and I am only one day into my month-long co-op. Future ambitions aside, being an intern at 3H Communications Inc. is much more enjoyable than flipping burgers at McDonalds or one of the other limited jobs generally available to a 16-year-old.
Keep checking back here as I share experiences at 3H!
by Miriam Hara | Jul 4, 2013 | Business Success, Latest
Getting in the door is the first step to success or failure. If you go into this meeting with a song and dance about why they should “buy” your service, then you’ve already lost them. This presentation is about your potential client or customer. Trust me, if they have given you the opportunity to present, then they already know that you can offer the service or product. You are in making the presentation to see if they can work with you. SO they need to like you and yes, trust you. Oh boy…how do you do that with a room full of strangers for an hour… and no cocktail in your hand!
When you are doing any types of sales, whether it’s service or product sales you must exercise a solid dose of patience. But finally, the time you have so long-awaited is here. You have finally gotten your foot…no your whole body in the door! YAY!… So now what do you do? You have to start prepping for that meeting. No,don’t stop reading, this is not about how to do a presentation. It is about how to be successful in presenting your business, give a presentation and own the presentation hour that you have been given.
Giving a presentation isn’t on everyone’s list of ‘the things I love most’… except if you’re a professional speaker or a professional sales person. Many of us have just fallen into “doing sales”, mainly because there isn’t anyone else to do it. This happens a lot in entrepreneurial businesses… that incidentally are very successful. That’s often the case because these people are passionate and it just gets very contagious!
There are a few keys to success that you should always keep in mind when presenting.
1) How to make a presentation always starts with your presentation ideas. Although you are presenting the services or products your business offers, there is merit in developing a “theme” or concept around your presentation. You need to engage your “audience” right away. You need to not only speak about what makes your business special you need to show them what makes it special…and that would be you.
2) There’s a ton of Powerpoint presentation tips, source them here. Keep it short. Keep it visual. Keep it exciting. This will set the rhythm of your presentation and provide a good background to what you are saying. Yes, background, not foreground!!!
3) Build in flexibility. When you present, it needs to be fluid. It can’t be a canned presentation. That comes often stilted and well, not very imaginative. By building flexibility in how you present provides you with the ability to ask questions, listen to the answers….and speak to their concerns during your presentation. You need to instill trust.
4) Practice your tone and your visual presence. A good Powerpoint presentation is only the beginning. When making oral presentations it’s all about the delivery not the subject matter. Think of being on stage and the spotlight is on you. People connect with people. You may be in the door to present a service or product they need, but ultimately they will buy because of you.
Ultimately, hitting a home run out of the park takes planning and preparation. You can’t wing it. It will show. Selling is all in the presentation and more importantly the presenter. I’d love to hear from you about some of your success stories. Share them here.
by Lisa Wedmann | Jul 3, 2013 | Advertising, Business Success, Latest
You are growing nervous by the minute. Your mouth is dry. You stumble on your words.
Talk about hot seat. It’s so hot your face is red from the heat.
The more you speak the more your boss looks disinterested.
Then to make matters worse, he tells you to book a meeting to present your PowerPoint material to the committee.
Your mind is racing. You’re not worried about your PowerPoint presentation. You know how to design an effective PowerPoint presentation and you know your material.
But you are worried about your ability to speak and capture your audience’s attention. You are anxious that you won’t present yourself in the best light.
According to one survey, over 74% of people suffer from some sort of glossophobia, the fear of speaking in public. Indeed they’d rather face death than speak in public. Or to paraphrase Jerry Seinfeld “most people at a funeral, would rather be in the casket than giving the eulogy”.
If you find yourself like the majority of people…. how then can you conquer your fear of giving a PowerPoint presentation? What can you do to be more effective?
There are many tips out there to become an effective public speaker. Having sat in on many presentations over my career, here is my top tip on how to conquer your fear of giving a PowerPoint presentation.
MAKE IT EASY FOR YOUR AUDIENCE TO LIKE YOU
You never have a second chance to make a good first impression. And the window of opportunity to win your audience on your side is short. You need to capture their attention within the first 5 minutes.
As soon as you open your mouth your audience is judging you. They are judging your ability to keep them engaged.
And even though they may have different agendas, the majority of people in your audience want to like you. They want you to be interesting as well as be informative. They’re rooting for you. They want to be able to relate to you on a personal level. And once you are able to create that relationship you have overcome the biggest challenge.
MAKE THEM FEEL COMFORTABLE
One of the easiest ways to get your audience to like you is to make them feel comfortable.
How do you make them feel comfortable?
TELL A STORY
Just as in our personal relationships, when we tell a story about our lives we create a conversation. If we simply present facts, the relationship is one-sided. You tell, they listen. Not a good way to win people over to your side.
STORIES ARE ABOUT PEOPLE
The story needs a face.
Open your presentation with a situational anecdote supporting your content and how it relates to them. It could be a scenario that relates to your PowerPoint presentation material and their jobs, a situation that directly relates to your audience but told in a personal, narrative fashion. For example, “on my drive into work today I was listening to the news and that made me think about our situation and how….” or “I was tying my shoes the other day and ….. Seem silly?
Perhaps, but wouldn’t that peak your interest? Wouldn’t you want to pay attention and find out what happens next?
Speak directly about your material while you draw in the audience.
For a more informal approach, try a lighthearted view of a personal story on how you developed the material for your PowerPoint presentation or tell a joke.
It is this story that makes you human.
This is material that comes directly from your personal experiences. It doesn’t need to be rehearsed. You will be relaxed and comfortable since you know the story like the back of your hand. You are simply talking to a group of friends about a subject that interests them and you have information you want to provide.
When your audience feels you are relaxed they will relax and are receptive and open to hearing what more you have to say.
The key to conquering your fear of making a PowerPoint presentation. Be yourself.
XXX
Do you have any more tips on how to overcome the fear of making a PowerPoint Presentation? What works for you? What hasn’t worked for you? What’s your biggest fear in making a PowerPoint presentation?
